Travel Unscripted

Whether he’s being peppered with fireworks, subjected to squirming insectoid cuisine, or experiencing an involuntary mud massage in the Dead Sea from an enthusiastic woman, Mark Murphy is unflappable in his excitement and interest. His love of travel and his willingness to see the world at a moment’s notice made Agent@Home and Vacation Agent magazines a success, and the TravelPulse.com website one of the earliest adopters of video content in its field.

Travel Unscripted chronicles the trials and tribulations of his career, peppered with anecdotes and insights galore about both their improvised film process and the quirks involved in obtaining that footage in some of the most beautiful and foreign places on Earth.

From his childlike wonder at the marvels of Japanese toiletry to his grotesque and hilarious description of StinkyTofu, Murphy provides a friendly and personable voice, offering a playful counterpoint to the detailed recaps of his many adventures overseas. And despite the lovely photography and far-flung locales, it’s Murphy that sells the book, and he does so with a winsome smile and a mischievous twinkle in his eye.

While the frustrations of travel and interaction with overly-involved officials are mentioned, they don’t bog down the book; instead, Murphy focuses on the on-the-fly solutions he and his crew conjure, as well as the weird and wonderful moments that make each trip memorable. (His quest to find a talking sheep in order to fulfill a promise made to his daughter was probably my favorite anecdote of the entire book, not a choice so easily winnowed-down.)

Complete with video links for all of the adventures he describes — embedded in the eBook version! — Travel Unscripted deftly straddles the fence between personal travelogue and guidebook to the countries that made these adventures so noteworthy.

In short, Travel Unscripted is a love letter to travel and a thoroughly enjoyable read.